Human Trafficking: Durham sex slave victims need help

DurhamRegion.com

It’s not dinner table conversation but the topic of human trafficking needs to be brought to the front burner.

The headlines of the past few months about sex slaves being rescued along the Hwy. 401 corridor, including right here in Durham Region, have been increasing at an alarming rate. While investigating the issue for a special three-part expose we discovered there is more to the story than eye-catching headlines. These are real women living lives we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies.

More and more police agencies, including Durham Regional Police, are grappling with what they describe as a growing incidence of young women being forced into the sex trade.

Human trafficking is on the rise in Durham, as evidenced by the results of recent blitzes targeting activity in motels along the Hwy. 401 corridor.

What police have found during the blitzes are helpless and in some cases trapped victims. These women are some of the most vulnerable in our society. They might have limited education, no resources for escape and are duped and then trapped into working in the sex trade. Simply put, they are sex slaves with little or no hope of extricating themselves from their predicament. For some it is the continuation of abuse, which sees them let down again by the system.

Now is the time for action. These women, and in some cases, teenagers, need our help. We can’t turn a blind eye to them because they are part of a seedy underground. They need help from the police and courts; they don’t need to be treated as criminals. And they require compassion from fellow human beings who want to see them free to live without exploitation.

Timea Nagy, a former sex trade worker who freed herself from that life, started Walk With Me in 2009 after realizing there were no other agencies available to help women escape that life. She has assisted more than 280 victims in Canada and the U.S. and says Durham Regional Police have done a great job combatting sex slavery in a short period of time.

But one agency alone can’t deal with this issue. There must be more resources for women, including shelters, counselling and agencies dedicated to helping them craft new lives. Durham police, as the first contact these victims will have on a road to a safer place, are doing a wonderful job but the effort requires a multi-agency approach.

Now that the conversation has started, we must continue the dialogue and take action as a community.